COOLING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COOLING A BATTERY IN A VEHICLE BY MEANS OF A COOLANT AND VEHICLE HAVING SUCH A COOLING APPARATUS

Abstract

A cooling apparatus for cooling a battery in a vehicle by means of a coolant includes a first coolant circuit including a first heat exchanger for heat transfer between the coolant and the battery, a pumping device, and a collecting vessel for the coolant connected to one another by means of coolant lines. A condensate line connects the collecting vessel to an air conditioning system of the vehicle for the introduction of condensate. A related method for cooling a battery is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A cooling apparatus for cooling a battery in a vehicle with a coolant, comprising: a first coolant circuit including a first heat exchanger, a pump device and a collecting vessel for said coolant connected by coolant lines; and a condensate line connecting said collecting vessel to an air conditioning system of the vehicle whereby condensate is introduced into said collecting vessel.

2. The cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first coolant circuit is an open circuit.

3. The cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the collecting vessel is connected by means of said coolant lines, with a second coolant circuit, to a second heat exchanger for heat transfer between the coolant and a refrigerant.

4. The cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the refrigerant is the refrigerant of the air conditioning system of the vehicle.

5. The cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first heat exchanger is disposed beneath the battery or is arranged to at least partially enclose the battery.

6. The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger is disposed beneath the battery or is arranged to at least partially enclose the battery.

7. A vehicle having the cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 7, configured as an electric vehicle.

9. The vehicle as claimed in claim 7, configured as a hybrid electric vehicle.

10. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9, configured as a mild hybrid electric vehicle.

11. A method for cooling a battery in a vehicle by use of a coolant, comprising: circulating, by a pump device, the coolant between a collecting vessel and a first heat exchanger; transferring heat from the battery to the coolant in said first heat exchanger; and adding, a condensate line, condensate from an air conditioning system to the coolant.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, including directing surplus coolant to a second coolant circuit.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, including: circulating said coolant in said second coolant circuit to a second heat exchanger; transferring heat from the coolant to a refrigerant in the second heat exchanger; and returning the coolant back to the collecting vessel.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 including returning said refrigerant from said second heat exchanger to said air conditioning system of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0028] The cooling apparatus, vehicle and method shall be explained in greater detail below with reference to an illustrative embodiment. The associated drawing shows:

[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the apparatus.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In the example explained below, reference is made to the attached drawing, which forms a part of the example and in which, by way of illustration, a specific embodiment in which the cooling apparatus, vehicle and method can be worked is shown. Obviously, other embodiments can be used, and structural or logical changes made, without deviating from the scope of the description. The following description should therefore not be interpreted in a restrictive sense, and the scope of this document is defined by the appended claims.

[0032] The illustrative embodiment according to FIG. 1 shows a cooling apparatus 12 for cooling a traction battery such as the battery 1 in a hybrid electric vehicle, in particular in a mild hybrid electric vehicle. The cooling apparatus 12 has a first heat exchanger 3, which is disposed beneath the battery 1, so that heat can be transferred from the battery 1 to a coolant flowing through the first heat exchanger 3. In addition a collecting vessel 5 is present, in which the coolant 2 is collected.

[0033] A pumping device 4 is arranged such that, by means of a suction hose 10 belonging to the pumping device 4, coolant is pumped out of the collecting vessel 5 and can be fed to a coolant line 6, which leads the coolant to the first heat exchanger 3. Further coolant lines 6 lead the coolant from the first heat exchanger 3 back again into the collecting vessel 5, so that a first coolant circuit is formed.

[0034] The collecting vessel 5 is connected moreover, by means of a condensate line 7, to the air conditioning system 8 of the vehicle, which serves for the air conditioning of the vehicle interior, so that a condensate arising at the air conditioning system 8 can be led into the collecting vessel 5. This condensate serves as the coolant 2 for cooling of the battery 1.

[0035] In the illustrative embodiment, the first coolant circuit is configured as an open circuit. The collecting vessel 5 possesses in the upper region an overflow 11. If the coolant level 9 in the collecting vessel 5 exceeds a certain fill height, then surplus coolant 2 is led off from the collecting vessel 5.

[0036] The condensate inflow is disposed in the lower region of the collecting vessel 5, so that the introduced cold condensate mixes as little as possible with the coolant 2 already found in the collecting vessel 5. The suction opening of the suction hose 10 is likewise located in the lower region of the collecting vessel 5, so that preferredly coldest possible coolant 2 is sucked up and led to the first heat exchanger 3. The return flow of the coolant 2 from the first heat exchanger 3 back into the collecting vessel 5 takes place preferredly in the upper region of the collecting vessel 5, likewise in order largely to avoid mixing with the coolant already found in the collecting vessel 5.

[0037] As long as condensate, i.e. cold water, is provided by the air conditioning system 8 and is introduced into the collecting vessel 5, surplus coolant 2, which generally has a higher temperature than the supplied condensate, can be led off from the collecting vessel 5. If no new condensate is any longer supplied, the remaining coolant 2 can circulate in the first coolant circuit.

[0038] Optionally, the collecting vessel 5 can be connected by means of further coolant lines 16, 17 to a second heat exchanger 14, with the formation of a second coolant circuit, in order that heat can be transferred from the coolant 2 to a refrigerant (not represented). The second pump 15 moves the coolant 2 through the coolant lines 16, 17 of the second coolant circuit. The refrigerant can be constituted by the refrigerant of the air conditioning system 8. Moreover, as the second heat exchanger, the heat exchanger of the air conditioning system 8 can be utilized (also note evaporator core 13).